Evaluating an interprofessional education curriculum: A theory-informed approach

Purpose: The Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel (IPEC) has identified four competencies essential for interprofessional functioning in the health professions. Those four competencies are (a) values/ethics for interprofessional practice, (b) roles/responsibilities, (c) interprofessional communication, and (d) teams and teamwork. Design of effective curricula to develop competence in these skills will improve interprofessional functioning in healthcare. The purpose of this study at a small northeastern university was to examine impact of a small group interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum on student awareness of one of the competencies, understanding roles and responsibilities. Methods: The quantitative study data consisted of student completion of a 13-item self-report questionnaire based on the four competencies of IPE after participating in two interprofessional events in the same semester (one large group introductory event and one small group case event). Students were enrolled in professional educational programs, including counseling psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant. Students were divided into groups of 8-10 students from participating academic programs forming interprofessional groups. They completed a 13-item self-report questionnaire based on the four competencies after each of the two events. Results: Results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed a significant difference between the first and second events, multivariate F (13, 476) = 24.61, p = .000. Results of univariate ANOVAs revealed significant differences for each variable, with scores from the case study session higher on each item than scores for the opening event. Factor analysis of data from the opening event yielded a single factor, which accounted for 63.4% of the variance in the scale. Factor analysis of data from the small group case event also yielded a single factor accounting for 65.9% of scale variance. Cronbach’s alpha revealed a very high internal consistency of .951 and.952, for the two events respectively. Conclusions: IPE events can positively increase self-report measures of IPE competencies. The assessment tool used may have measured one overarching construct of collaboration. The tool represents an initial effort toward measurement of each of the four specific competencies, an area in need of refinement. This study demonstrated impact of IPE events housed within an IPE curriculum.

Introduction: Interprofessional education (IPE) has emerged as an essential component of training for students in the health and social care professions. Standardised patients (SPs) have also been developed as an important simulation-based learning modality in health and social care curricula due to the authenticity and realism of the patient or client encounter that may be replicated. Reports evaluating the use of SPs across an IPE curriculum in the health and social care professions are limited. Methods: This evaluation study used a causal-comparative research design to examine the effect of SPs as an instructional method in an IPE curriculum. Evaluative outcomes of the educational experiences of students attending 37 IPE learning modules offered between Autumn 2006 and Winter 2012 were analysed. Results: A total of 6,561 students from seven health and social care professions rated the usefulness of the instructional methods used in each module through post- module surveys. Students consistently rated SPs as significantly more useful than other instructional methods, and overall mean satisfaction scores were significantly higher for IPE modules that incorporated SPs. Conclusions: This study’s findings demonstrate the positive effect that SPs can have on the learning experiences of health and social care students. By Using SPs in IPE curricula, the authenticity of classroom-based interprofessional learning experiences can be enhanced and lead to more positive IPE learning outcomes.

The Council for Social Work Education has made a commitment to participate in interprofessional education and interprofessional curriculum building. Across medical professions, there is a common concern about the consequences of poor teamwork and implicit bias. Both medical error and interpersonal misunderstanding are an important contribution to health care disparities. Introducing interprofessional education opportunities early in professional education, offering common assignments to all professions, having a committed interprofessional faculty, and involving interprofessional students in curriculum design are all considered important to quality interprofessional education. At the core of this study is a student authoethnographic investigation of three different interprofessional interventions as part of her MSW internship. This research collaboration involved regular mentoring discussions with her field instructor to flesh out cultural context and theoretical relevance of her observations. The writing and discussion experiences of this partnership brought up concerns about unaddressed complexity in interprofessional team interactions. Professional-centrism was observed regularly, and this lack of respect for difference among team members often foreshadows the respect patients received from the medical team. Social separation, empathy, and avoiding team conflict were also a focus.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic required higher education institutions to quickly transition to a virtual platform. This was challenging for those involved in interprofessional education (IPE), given the goal that students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with one another. The Big Ten IPE Alliance is a subgroup of the larger Big Ten Academic Alliance. The purpose of this paper is to share the collective experiences of multiple large, research intensive universities in addressing the challenge of implementing IPE programs under the conditions established by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: To better understand how the Big Ten schools dealt with the transition to virtual learning for didactic and clinical IPE given the COVID-19 pandemic, a subset of representatives from the Big Ten IPE Alliance met to discuss best practices for virtual learning in the IPE realm. Each participating university completed an electronic 14 question survey related to their IPE curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 thru August 2020 and the responses were analyzed. Results: Four categories were identified as needing to be addressed to develop and implement successful interprofessional didactic and clinical experiences. The categories identified included content/assessment, virtual technologies, faculty and facilitators, and learners. Conclusions/Recommendations: Consider including authentic and innovative mechanisms to deliver IPE experiences that meet the learning needs and accreditation requirements. Interinstitutional collaborations such as within the Big Ten IPE Alliance can be beneficial in assessing current and future best practices in IPE.

Background and Purpose. The need for developing collaborative practice–ready health care providers, along with new interprofessional education (IPE) accreditation standards, highlights the importance of IPE in physical therapist education curriculum. As we strive to meet the goal of preparing students for collaborative practice and team-based care, the TeamSTEPPS system can be integrated into IPE programs to assist in the provision of quality health care and in the prevention of medical errors. Emory University (Emory), Kansas University Medical Center (KUMC), and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have integrated TeamSTEPPS into their IP classroom- and practice-based curricula. The purpose of this paper is to describe how these academic health centers have embedded TeamSTEPPS into their IP curricula, with the goal of assisting academic and clinical faculty with the development and implementation of learning activities directed toward the development of IP competency. Method/Model Description and Evaluation, Outcomes. The IPE models used by Emory, KUMC, and MUSC use the TeamSTEPPS framework and are described with select evaluation measures and outcomes. The Emory and KUMC models are primarily classroom based, whereas the MUSC uses a combined classroom- and clinic-based model. Although each institution's model for IP training and assessment is different, all have shown positive results. Discussion and Conclusion. With new IPE accreditation standards for most health professions programs, using TeamSTEPPS is a strategy to assist in meeting the standards for IPE training and a larger goal of improving the quality and safety of patient care.

Validating an interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) curriculum prior to implementation is uncommon. A sound empirical investigation involving external and internal participants considered four criteria: relevance, consistency, practicality, and effectiveness, as part of an educational design research process to assess whether the proposed curriculum content was valid for the South African healthcare higher education context. Participants provided quantitative input on the four criteria on a visual analog scale (0–100) and qualitative comments to suggest improvements to the proposed curriculum. Descriptive statistics and deductive thematic analysis were used for data analysis. The participants lauded the proposed curriculum. Relevance generated strong agreement and consensus (m = 99, IQR = 6.75), with a lower, but still adequate, rating and consensus for practicality (m = 85.5, IQR = 25.75). The consistency and effectiveness, rated across years of study and streams, indicated in ratings and consensus with an increase across years of study from the first to the last year. Of the streams, the proposed Research and Ethics stream appeared to be the most problematic with moderate consensus (m = 90, IQR = 19.75). Curriculum validation before implementation illuminated concerns requiring refinement and strengthening responsive strategies to ensure a tailored implementation of the proposed curriculum.

The interprofessional education (IPE) literature showcases many studies reporting results at the all-student and academic program levels. However, if the purpose of IPE is to develop collaborative-practice ready professionals, analysis at the team level would better support the advancement of the IPE literature and future health care goals. Pre-licensure students engaged in a two-year IPE curriculum and individually completed the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised survey, version 2 (SPICE-R2), at the end of the first and second year. Teams were comprised of health profession students from 12 academic programs associated with the university. Exploratory and longitudinal analyses of the change in mean SPICE-R2 scores from post-year 1 and post-year 2 were conducted. Overall positive changes were seen at the all-student level. However, exploration at a team level revealed more divergent outcomes. Further research into the determinants of these team-level disparities is required to improve IPE curriculum design.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is a feature of many social work curricula and whilst content is difficult enough to agree, implementation raises further challenges. In 2006/7, IPE was introduced for six undergraduate professionally qualifying programmes, including social work, at Bournemouth University. Challenges included moving beyond shared teaching to collaborative learning; providing parity of learning experience for large student numbers (n = 600+) unevenly spread between professions across a wide geographical area; and supporting staff in adapting to changing learning and teaching practices. Embracing opportunities for technology supported learning, a virtual town known as Wessex Bay was developed in partnership with service users and carers and embedded in the IPE curriculum, accessed through the university Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Blackboard. Populated by providers of health and social care services, service users and carers and other residents, it enables the facilitation of interprofessional learning and collaborative practice using evolving scenarios. Evaluation using an iterative action research approach was undertaken. Emerging themes for both staff and students include technology issues, teaching and learning strategies, and professional identity. This paper discusses some of the implications for technology supported learning in situations where social work students are engaged in IPE.

Diversity and internationalisation in interprofessional education

While much investment has gone into developing interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum for healthcare professional students, many of these efforts have focused on classroom rather than clinical environments. Implementing robust IPE experiences into clinical training is often complicated by obstacles such as differing rotating schedules and differing curricular requirements. The Combined Medical-Physician Assistant Student Rural Rotation (Med-PARR) at the Oregon Health and Science University takes a practical approach to these challenges. Med-PARR students participate in focused IPE activities that overlay, or 'float', on top of each trainee's profession-specific curricular requirements. Through critical reflection, goal setting, and a community-based project, students get the opportunity to critically reflect on their interprofessional roles while participating in their rural clinical settings. The practical approach of the Med-PARR can serve as a model for other institutions seeking to solve similar logistical issues in their own rural and community clinical IPE implementation efforts.

Shadowing is described as an interprofessional education (IPE) learning activity where a student of one discipline shadows a registered health professional or student of another discipline. To date, research examining the educational effectiveness of the shadowing learning activity has largely focused on students shadowing registered health professionals. This study explores if and what students learn, and the factors that influence their learning, when they shadow students from other disciplines. This ethnographic, case study observational research used indepth analysis to undertake a fine-grained examination of interprofessional learning gained through student's peer shadowing of each other in a 5-week IPE programme in a rural setting. Both the students who were shadowing and students who were being shadowed were observed to learn in the activity and this learning was multifaceted. It included learning about another discipline's roles, skills and philosophies and the different training programmes, as well as personal and professional concerns and also wider aspects of health care. Peer teaching resulted in active and sometimes reciprocal learning and students were for the most part confident and enthusiastic. Peer shadowing involving senior students of different disciplines where interaction and social engagement occur, promotes meaningful and comprehensive interprofessional learning, including enhancing understanding of interprofessional collaboration as well as other aspects of professional and social practice. It is important for educators to prebrief the students about the goals of peer shadowing and advise them to prepare themselves for the learning activity, but once done, incorporating peer shadowing within IPE curricula provides an effective learning activity in which all students benefit.

Edited by Dr. Clare Delany and Dr. Elizabeth Molloy, Clinical Education in the Health Professions is a well-constructed resource that recognizes the complexity of teaching and learning in the clinical environment. It provides theory, context, and examples that demonstrate why the role of the clinical educator should be “recognised and promoted as one that empowers students to be active, engaged and mature learners” (p. vii). The book is well organized; tables and diagrams summarizing information within the text are supplemented by practical examples in a user-friendly format. Each chapter begins with theories relevant to the content in that chapter, followed by guidance on using theory in curriculum design and research, and then uses theory to drive practical examples in clinical education. The text is organized into three parts: “Examining Knowledge—Theoretical Perspectives about Knowledge Construction”; “Sharing Knowledge—Communities and Culture in Education”; and “Applying Knowledge—Teaching and Learning Practices.” Part 1 includes an important chapter on critical reflection (Delany and Molloy), which sets the tone by describing clinical educators' valuable role in fostering the development of reflective health care professionals. The authors' use of examples and discussion on modelling iterative critical reflection is key in clinical education. Part 2 includes a chapter on inter-professional education (IPE) (Davidson, Smith, and Stone), now a focus of many health professional education programmes. Davidson and colleagues describe the history of IPE and present definitions contrasting IPE with multi-professional education in a clear, succinct, and very useful matrix on the various degrees of “inter-professionality.” This chapter also includes case examples of IPE in practice. Part 3 includes several useful chapters; in my opinion, the chapters on clinical reasoning (chapter 7, by Ajjawi and colleagues) and on giving and receiving feedback (chapter 8, by Molloy) are particularly useful to clinical educators and administrators of clinical education, as both are challenging concepts for clinical educators. Chapter 7's description of a stage theory of expertise development and of different models of clinical reasoning, reinforced with examples, help to clarify a complex concept. In chapter 8, I found the tips and resources on how clinical education can foster clinical reasoning very pertinent, and particularly enjoyed the component on reconceptualization of feedback as well as the authors' recommendations, which I believe will inspire clinical educators to take a positive view of giving and receiving feedback and encourage them to empower students to be active, engaged, and mature learners. Overall, Clinical Education in the Health Professions provides a comprehensive review of educational and other relevant theories, demonstrates how theory can inform curriculum design, and provides practical examples to show how readers can apply the concepts to their own clinical education practice. This is a valuable reference for any health professional involved in clinical education, and especially for those who lead and design clinical education in health professional curricula.

Interprofessional education (IPE) prepares health students to become collaboration-ready healthcare professionals. Assessing students’ baseline attitudes toward IPE and collaborative practice is essential to inform development of IPE curricula. Kuwait University Health Sciences Center (HSC) is early in its IPE journey but is planning to join the broader global movement toward IPE. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the attitudes of HSC students from Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Allied Health Sciences toward collaborative practice and IPE at early and late stages of study. A total of 770 students completed the survey (81.1% response rate). Students expressed positive attitudes toward interprofessional healthcare teams and IPE (median [IQR] overall attitudes were rated 4.0 [1.0] and 4.0 [2.0], respectively, on a scale of 5). Overall attitudes toward both scales were significantly more positive among pharmacy students than students from other faculties (p < .001). Final-year students reported more positive attitudes toward healthcare teams than early- and middle-year students, while early- and final-year students expressed more positive attitudes toward IPE than middle-year students (p < .001). There were no significant differences in overall attitudes between female and male students toward the two scales (p > .05). These findings have implications for engaging students from different professions in IPE initiatives.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is an emergent topic that has received considerable attention during the recent years among health science educators in a variety of fields and at all levels. This chapter discusses the present state of simulation in pre-professional interprofessional health science education and describes eight attributes associated with programs that have established successful IPE curricula. Finally, it will discuss relevant concepts necessary to support programs as they work to establish sustainable pre-professional interprofessional simulation experiences.

Assessing students' scientific literacy is necessary for science education policy, accountability and curriculum design and implementation, and there is a need for a valid, reliable and easy to use measurement instrument by local education authorities. Based on the definition and assessment framework of scientific literacy of PISA, a scientific literacy assessment instrument for junior high school and senior high school students was developed. The Rasch model was used to establish evidence for the validity and reliability of measures of the instrument. The results showed that the instrument measures met the validity and reliability expectations. Student scientific achievement levels were defined into four levels of Excellent, Advanced, Proficient and Basic using the Bookmarking method. The instrument can be used to assess student scientific literacy change from junior high school through high school to inform science education policy, accountability as well as curriculum design and implementation at local education levels.